Mililani battles back to top Campbell

Mililani fell behind in Saturday’s matchup with Campbell due in part to a wayward bat.

But the Trojans’ bats came through late in the game to power a 6-2 comeback win over the previously undefeated Sabers at Hans L’Orange Park.

Trailing 2-0 after a bizarre play in which a Campbell bat flew into the Mililani dugout in the top of the fifth, the Trojans tied the game on Kainoa Wong’s two-run triple with two out in the bottom of the inning. Mililani then took the lead in the sixth when Jamesson Madrid lined an RBI double to right center and closed the OIA Red West regular-season schedule at 6-6.

"It was big for us," Mililani head coach Mark Hirayama said. "We’ve had an up-and-down year, a couple close losses where we just didn’t execute on our part.

"We gave them a couple (runs) there, but we were able to clutch up with some timely hits today and just fortunate to come out with a win."

Campbell first baseman Rayven Kahana’s bat factored into the Sabers scoring the game’s first two runs, although he didn’t connect with the ball.

With runners on first and third, the bat escaped Kahana’s grasp twice. The first time it sailed past Campbell head coach Rory Pico in the third-base coaches box. On the second, it helicoptered toward the press box before falling into the Mililani dugout.

The runner on first had broken for second and Madrid, the Mililani catcher, tried to pick the runner off third.

Only problem was everyone’s attention was transfixed by the bat and the ball rolled into left field and both Campbell runners scored amid the confusion.

"I thought I had a chance at getting him out, but I didn’t take a look at the third baseman," Madrid said.

"I didn’t even see the play," Hirayama said. "The bat came right over our dugout, hit the booth and came in here. Our third baseman thought the bat was kind of coming at him, so he wasn’t really watching. Heads up by our catcher, but just a tough play."

Mililani’s Gavin Shon walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth and was sacrificed to second. After a strikeout, Adam Connell swung and missed on strike three but went to first on the wild pitch to extend the inning. Wong then slammed a pitch to the fence in left-center for a two-run triple that tied the game.

"In that situation we tell the guys just try to get the next guy up, you never know what’s going to happen," Hirayama said.

Mililani’s Travis Maekawa reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the sixth and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Madrid then drove an outside fastball to right center for a double, scoring Maekawa with the go-ahead run.

"This whole season I hadn’t really been hitting, but this time I just knew I had to get it for the team," Madrid said.

The Trojans rally continued when Landon Ogomori, running for Madrid, went to third on Sean Sonognini’s single and scored on an errant throw to third. Justice Nakagawa and Adam Connell added RBI singles to give Mililani a four-run lead going into the seventh.

Mililani reliever Gabriel Miguel got the first two outs of the seventh and Kanoa Hironaka got a popup to end the game.

Campbell had already wrapped up the OIA Red West title and closed the regular season at 11-1 as it refocuses for the league playoffs.